News at Whitstable Yacht Club

Club News - March

Andrew Pierce

Posted: Friday, 23 March , 2018

We are sad to announce that Andrew Pierce, longstanding Club member and former Merlin sailor, died this morning in hospital in Margate.
Richard Davis reflected on Andrew's life in sailing: Andrew sailed Cadets in the early 60s as both crew and helmsman . He attended Cadet Week at Burnham on several occasions. He then crewed in National 12s and had attended the Burton Week in 1964, 1965, and 1966. He crewed in the Hornet Championships in 1967. I had started sailing with him in 1966 ( including the 1966 Burton Week). We sailed together in the 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1973 Merlin Championships - together we achieved 3 top six results.
Andrew retired from top flight crewing in the mid 70s and for some years sailed a Laser 'for fun'. He had worked with Mike Scott at Yachting and Boating - the weekly news magazine for dinghy sailors.
He has lived in Whitstable throughout his life. He always enjoyed talking and listening about dinghy sailing right until the end - he smiled at us on his last day as we recalled 'events' at Cadet Weeks in the early 60s.
He is survived by his sister Catherine, to whom we send our deepest sympathy, and will be greatly missed by his friends in WYC and the town.

Updated Cadet Handbook for 2018

Posted: Friday, 23 March , 2018

The WYC Cadet Handbook has been updated for 2018. You can download a copy, and read the latest Cadet information at wyc.org.uk/cadets

Wanderer - Change to General Handicap Class PY

Posted: Tuesday, 20 March , 2018

The WYC Dinghy and Catamaran Handicaps used for race results have been updated to the 2018 RYA Portsmouth Yardstick and Small Catamaran Handicap Rating System numbers. This has resulted in the Wanderer dinghy rating putting it outside of the limits of the published General Handicap. The Sailing Committee has decided to keep the Wanderer dinghy in the General Handicap class, and so the definition has been changed to "PY1190 and faster". This changes the class definition on page 11 of the printed 2018 club programme.
The current PY numbers can be downloaded here for dinghies and catamarans.

Trailer storage at WYC

Posted: Tuesday, 20 March , 2018

There are a number of unidentified trailers currently stored on the beach and on West Quay. An extract from the WYC Storage Policy regarding labelling and storage of equipment follows: Any kit that is not displaying the appropriate identification and payment confirmation may be removed.
Trolleys, trailers, covers and any other equipment left on the beach when you go sailing must also be clearly labelled with your sail number and name to aid identification in the event of an incident.
Boats may be parked on top of their road trailers as long as the combination does not take up significantly more space than the boat parked without the road trailer. There are limited spaces for road trailers parked independently from boats, and for these the numbered sticker confirming payment for the season and ongoing membership MUST be clearly displayed and the trailer identifiable. The trailer must be parked in the allocated row and where appropriate in the designated position as defined by the parking plan and agreed with the Class Captain. Changes to any allocation should be agreed with the Class Captain and the Beachmaster as appropriate. Trailers that cannot be identified may be removed.
If you have a trailer located on either West Quay or on the beach please ensure it is stored in accordance with the club’s policy and labelled to aid identification. Storage space is always in demand therefore from April 20th 2018 any trailers not correctly stored with boats, not clearly labelled, or where appropriate payment has not been made, will be removed. If you are unsure about storage of your trailer please contact your Class Captain or the Beachmaster.

Lord Mayor’s visit to WYC

Posted: Monday, 19 March , 2018

The Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Councillor Rosemary Doyle, visited Whitstable Yacht Club on Saturday March 17 to help celebrate the start of the Club’s new sailing season.
Plans for her to join in the start and management of the first race had to be abandoned when this was cancelled due to the potentially unsafe weather conditions – snow, freezing temperatures and winds gusting to gale force. Nevertheless the visit provided an opportunity for the Lord Mayor to visit and be updated on the Club’s facilities and resources and meet many of the members, including the Commodore Richard Bradburn, the Rear-Commodore (Sailing) Robert Govier, and the Training Centre Manager Richard Maltby.
The Lord Mayor’s own experience and appreciation of coastal sailing helped the Club ensure this was a very practical visit to important activities within the Club, and especially its very successful and rapidly developing Training Centre, which is recognised by the Royal Yachting Association and has links to complementary organisations such as the Kent Schools Sailing Association.
The Lord Mayor’s visit culminated with a very sociable meeting with members in the clubhouse overlooking the beach. A plan was proposed for her to return to participate in managing a race later in the season, with hopefully more positive weather conditions.

Boat parking moves

Posted: Tuesday, 13 March , 2018

At the Working Party on Saturday all dinghy classes were realigned to their respective rows in accordance with the Beach Plan, a copy of which can be seen on the club notice board. A copy will also be attached to the March Sailing Committee notes which can be accessed via the web site. There have been some minor changes to the row allocations but they are broadly the same as last year. As in previous years the rows nearest the club house have been prioritised to the most regular sailors within each class. The beach plan and allocations will be monitored during the year to ensure we are correctly managing the available space. The same applies to the boat parking on West Quay. If you have any queries regarding the Beach Plan and/or the allocation of space for your dinghy please contact your Class Captain or the Beachmaster.

Working party: Job done!

Posted: Monday, 12 March , 2018

Thanks to everyone who came to the club on Saturday morning for the working party. We got a lot done, and the club is looking ready for the start of the sailing season next weekend! Also, thanks to Keith at the Coffee Hut for supplying sandwiches and coffee to the volunteers!

Slow Handicap Dinghy Class Captain wanted

Posted: Saturday, 03 March , 2018

We have an opening on the Sailing Committee for a Slow Handicap Dinghy Class Captain. The Class Captains represent the interests of the sailors in their class, by welcoming new members, helping with any queries related to the boats in the class, representing the sailors views at Sailing Committee Meetings, and being a contact point for members. The Sailing Committee meet once a month, usually at 7.30pm on the 2nd Monday of the month, and the role shouldn't take up more than a few hours of time a month. The Slow Handicap Class includes boats with a Portsmouth Yardstick of 1180 and slower, and includes the Topper, Topaz, Mirror, RS Aero, RS Tera, Byte, and Solo dinghies. If you're interested in the role, please contact Robert Govier at rear.comm.sailing@wyc.org.uk or 07733260879

Peter Griffin

Posted: Saturday, 03 March , 2018

We have received the sad news that Peter Griffin, beloved husband of Fef, constant helper and supporter and friend to the Cadet fleet and their parents, passed away yesterday. Peter was a constant, benign and immensely supportive presence not only at Cadet evenings, but also on weekend sailing where he drove and crewed safety boats and turned his hand to anything where help was needed. He will be greatly missed by us all.
Richard Bradburn
Commodore, Whitstable Yacht Club